Canada Election 2015: Liberals To Form Next Majority Government

A Trudeau is headed back to 24 Sussex Drive, completing the first father-son dynasty in Canada's federal government history, and vanquishing the Conservative leader who came to politics hoping to remake the Trudeau vision of Canada.

Justin Trudeau will become Canada's 23rd prime minister after his party steamrolled to a stunning majority victory Monday night — the culmination of the longest and most expensive general election in modern times, and one of the most bitter.

"You can appeal to the better angels of our nature and you can win while doing it," a hoarse Trudeau told a delirious Liberal crowd in Montreal after invoking the "sunny ways" of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, a Liberal prime minister from the dawn of a previous century.

"I hope it is an inspiration to like-minded peoples to step up and pitch in, to get involved in the public life of this country and to know that a positive, optimistic, hopeful vision of public life isn't a naive dream, but can be a powerful force for change."

The Liberal party, which appeared poised to claim 184 seats in the newly expanded 338-seat House of Commons, becomes the first ever to vault directly from third party status to government. Even the Liberals' internal pollster, who foresaw a majority, hadn't imagined a total so high.

And Trudeau, 43, returns to his childhood home, where he was the first-born of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who served as prime minister for almost 16 years before retiring in 1984.

Trudeau faced more than two years of Conservative attack ads before defeating Harper, including a barrage of "just not ready" ads so ubiquitous that school-age children could recite them.

Notwithstanding his appeal to Canadians' "better angels," the new prime minister-elect gave a lengthy denunciation of what he called the politics of division and fear, including a defence of veiled Muslim women who became an unlikely wedge issue during the campaign.

"Canadians have spoken," Trudeau said.

"You want a government with a vision and an agenda for this country that is positive and ambitious and hopeful. Well, my friends, I promise you tonight that I will lead that government? I will be that prime minister."

During the October crisis of 1970, Pierre Trudeau famously told an inquiring reporter "Just watch me," when asked how far he would go in limiting civil liberties to combat separatist terrorists. The elder Trudeau went on to shape much of the modern Canadian state that Prime Minister Stephen Harper came to power in 2006 in part to re-make.

With the magnitude of the Conservative party loss still sinking in, the Conservative leader — who called the extraordinarily long, 78-day election on Aug. 2 after almost 10 years in power — is stepping down as party leader, according to a statement from party president John Walsh.

"The prime minister indicated that he will continue to sit as a member of Parliament and asks that a process to both select an interim leader and initiate the leadership selection process in our party begin immediately," says the Walsh letter.

Harper did not announce his resignation in a concession speech to party faithful in Calgary, stating only that the "disappointment you also feel is my responsibility and mine alone."

But he offered gracious congratulations to his younger opponent.

"While tonight's result is certainly not the one we had hoped for, the people are never wrong," said the prime minister, adding he had called Trudeau and "assured him of my full co-operation during the process of transition in the coming days."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks to a crowd of supporters in Calgary on Oct. 19, 2015.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, who'd aspired to lead Canada's first NDP federal government, instead lost the party's hard-won 2011 grip on official Opposition status. That role will fall to the Conservatives.

Mulcair, however, managed to hold on to his Montreal seat despite a tough Liberal challenge.

Green party Leader Elizabeth May was also re-elected on Vancouver Island, while Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe went down to defeat.

The New Democrats were decimated, dropping to 42 seats after entering the election with 95. Mulcair had a tough fight just hanging on to his own Montreal riding.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Green party Leader Elizabeth May. Both held on to their seats in Montreal and on Vancouver Island, respectively.

The shocking Liberal onslaught opened on the East Coast, where Liberals swept all 32 Atlantic Canada seats, before rolling into Quebec and Ontario and Manitoba.

With the polls simultaneously closing from the Quebec-New Brunswick border all the way to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the scale of the Liberal charge became clear as the ballot counting commenced: The Liberals finished just shy of 40 per cent of the popular vote and knocked off Conservative and NDP heavyweights across the country.

Trudeau romped to victory in his gritty Montreal riding of Papineau as the Liberals restored their Quebec fortunes to help anchor the surprising victory.

"I congratulated Mr. Trudeau on his exceptional achievement both for him and his party," Mulcair said in a concession speech in Montreal.

"In this campaign, Mr. Trudeau made ambitious commitments to Canadians and Canadians will have high expectations for their next Parliament."

Harper hoped to become the first prime minister since Laurier in 1908 to win four consecutive mandates. However with all opposition parties vowing not to work with him after Monday's election, it was apparent that only a very strong Conservative minority or a Tory majority would keep Harper on as prime minister.

It was never even close.

For the 2015 election, there was no longer a blackout on transmitting voting results while polls were still open in other parts of the country — a ban that had become impossible to enforce in the age of the Internet. The change of government was evident before the polls even closed in B.C.

The Conservatives held 159 seats in the 308-seat House of Commons, the NDP had 95 and the Liberals held just 36, with another 18 seats either vacant, held by Independents or shared between the Green party (two seats) and the Bloc Quebecois and a splinter group.

Due to population growth, 30 new seats were added this election, including 15 in Ontario, six each for Alberta and British Columbia and three more for Quebec.

Some 3.6 million Canadians cast ballots during the four-day advance polling period on the Thanksgiving long weekend — an increase of 71 per cent over the 2011 election, when only three days of advance polls were held.

That increased turnout, however, did not appear to carry into the main event, despite long lines at polling stations in many parts of the country. Just 61.4 per cent of eligible electors cast a ballot in 2011, up marginally from the 58.8 per cent in 2008 — the lowest ever in a federal election.

A supporter holds a poster referring to Liberal leader Justin Trudeau's grandfather James Sinclair who was a Liberal member of Parliament in Vancouver North during a rally, Sunday, October 18, 2015 in North Vancouver.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau holds up a baby during a rally, Sunday, October 18, 2015 in Edmonton.

NDP leader Tom Mulcair and his wife Catherine pose for photos with Olivia Chow, widow of Jack Layton, at a campaign rally, Sunday, October 18, 2015 in Toronto. Canadians will vote in the federal election on Oct.19.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper receives a kiss from wife Laureen at a campaign rally in Toronto on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015. Canadians will go to the polls in the Federal election Oct. 19.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair is introduced by Alberta Premier Rachel Notley at a campaign rally in Edmonton on Friday, Oct. 16, 2015. Canadians will go to the polls in the 42nd federal election on Monday, October 19, 2015.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau hugs former Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion during a campaign event in a senior's home Friday, October 16, 2015 in Mississauga, Ont.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau makes a funny face with a young child during a campaign stop at a restaurant, Oct. 14, 2015 in Welland, Ont.

NDP leader Tom Mulcair and his wife, Catherine help their grandson, Raphael, onto a giant pumpkin while visiting a farm, Oct. 14, 2015 in L'Assomption, Quebec.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is photographed by a supporter as he attends a campaign event at the J.P. Bowman tool and die company in Brantford, Ont., Oct. 14, 2015.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau dusts sugar on a tray of cookies as local candidates Robert Planche, left, and Chris Biddle look on during a stop at a pastry shop, Oct. 14, 2015 in St. Catharines, Ont.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau gets ready to sign a vintage poster of his father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, during a campaign stop at a coffee shop Thursday, October 15, 2015 in Ste-Therese, Que.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper touches money laid out on a table to illustrate claimed losses to Canadian taxpayers as he addresses supporters at a campaign event in London, Ont., Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau shares a laugh with "Onkel Hans," the mascot, during an Oktoberfest celebration in Kitchener, Ont., on Tuesday, October 13, 2015.

Freed Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy speaks to reporters as NDP Leader Tom Mulcair looks on after their meeting, Tuesday, October 13, 2015 in Toronto.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau delivers a plate of hamburgers he has just prepared during a campaign event at a bar Tuesday, October 13, 2015 in Toronto.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper looks on as Nicole Ropp throws money on the counter as they illustrate how liberal tax hikes will affect Canadians during a Harper campaign event at an apple farm in Waterloo, Ont., Monday, Oct. 12, 2015.

NDP leader Tom Mulcair carves up a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday, October 11, 2015 in Courtenay, B.C.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, second from right, looks out over the Montreal skyline from the Mount Royal Park Observatory with local candidates, left to right, Marc Miller, Rachel Bendayan and Marwah Rizgy on Oct. 2, 2015.

Former prime minister Jean Chretien listens during a news conference with local Liberal Party candidates in Vancouver, B.C., on October 1, 2015.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair kisses his wife, Catherine Pinhas, before he addresses supporters during a campaign stop in Montreal on Oct. 1, 2015.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau signs a copy of his book for a supporter during a campaign stop at a forklift dealership in Montreal on Oct. 1, 2015.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper reacts to the crowed at a rally during a campaign stop in Quebec City on Wednesday, September 30, 2015.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, accompanied by a group of supporters, fields questions during a campaign stop in Apex, near Iqaluit, Nunavut on Sept. 30, 2015.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair shares a laugh with fisherman George Chafe, second from right, as MP Jack Harris, left, looks on as they fish near Petty Harbour, N.L., during a campaign stop on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. The large cod had been caught earlier in the day.

Laureen Harper displays a ribbon she received for participating in the Terry Fox Run during a photo opportunity with local Conservative candidates in Port Moody, B.C., on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/

Former Conservative MPJames Moore, left, speaks as Laureen Harper listens during a photo opportunity on the training route Terry Fox used while preparing for his cross-country run, in Port Moody, B.C., on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015.

Children look on as Conservative Leader Stephen Harper shakes hands with Wayne Gretzky before playing a table top hockey game during a campaign event in Toronto on Sept. 18, 2015. Mark Sokolski acts as the ref.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper speaks with fisherman Randy Ahearn following a photo opportunity in the waters off Borden-Carleton, P.E.I., near the Confederation Bridge, on Sept. 10, 2015.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper walks past a pile of potatoes as he leaves a campaign stop in New Annan, P.E.I., on Sept. 10, 2015.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper takes a shot on goalie Myles Atwood, special assistant to the Prime Minister, as they play road hockey on the tarmac at the airport in Kitchener, Ont., Sept. 9, 2015.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau offers up a beer to a patron as he pours pints at a pub Sept. 4, 2015, in Toronto.

ADR TV President Vincent Geracitano, left, looks on as Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe speaks to the media at the offices of the televison channel that searches for missing people during a federal election campaign stop in Montreal on Sept. 4.

Laureen Harper helps husband, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, out of his personal flotation device as they dock following a boat ride on Schwatka Lake near Whitehorse, Y.T., on Sept. 4, 2015.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, right, waves to supporters as he arrives for his official nomination meeting and campaign stop at the Rialto Theatre in his home riding of Outremont, in Montreal, on Sept. 3, 2015.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau shares a laugh with former prime minister Paul Martin as he works with a plasma torch as they tour a manufacture Aug. 28, 2015 in Montreal.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and Green candidate Jo-Ann Roberts, listen during a Q & A about the future of the health care system in Canada during a town hall meeting at the Oak Bay United Church in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 27, 2015.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau has his photo taken with supporters as he attends a gala in Toronto on Aug. 27.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair embraces a young supporter during a campaign stop in Brantford, Ont., on Aug. 27, 2015.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau talks with one of two demonstrators on stage that interrupted his speech during a rally Aug. 28, 2015 in Montreal.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, left, and former prime minister Paul Martin, centre, pose for a picture with an employee as they leave a small manufacturer following an economic presentation on Aug. 25, 2015 in Toronto.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau gestures as he addresses supporters during a rally on Aug. 24, 2015, in Peterborough, Ont.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper meets with members of Scouts Canada as they make a campaign stop on the shores of McIvor Lake in Campbell River, B.C. on Aug. 21, 2015.
The organization said they didn't sanction the photo-op, and reminded members that the group is non-partisan.

Thomas Mulcair, left, greets 11-month-old Leonie Mendelsohn and her mom Ellen Friedrichs as he arrives for a campaign stop in the backyard of a home in Vancouver, B.C., on Aug. 20, 2015.

The face of Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is seen on a Conservative campaign bus as it is parked at a rally in Black Creek, B.C. on Aug. 20, 2015.

Justin Trudeau meets with supporters after his speech at Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke candidate David Merner's campaign office during a stop in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 20, 2015.

Stephen Harper swings Beatrice as her father Conservative candidate Jeff Watson holds her other hand during a campaign stop in Newmarket, Ont. Aug. 20, 2015. They are joined by Watson's son Elijah and Laureen Harper. Watson adopted Beatrice from Iqaluit.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair takes a selfie with a supporter in Winnipeg on Aug. 20, 2015.
His speech in front of almost 1,000 NDP supporters was interrupted by environmental protesters chanting "Stop Energy East," referring to the proposed pipeline that would carry one million barrels of oil daily from Alberta to the East Coast.
"Listen, I'm more than willing to put up with your screaming but I'm talking about First Nations," he said to loud cheers from supporters. "Can you show a little bit of respect please?"

Thomas Mulcair, centre, picks up a young boy during a campaign stop in Surrey, B.C., on Aug. 19, 2015.

Protesters block a media bus emblazoned with Conservative logos as it arrives to Stephen Harper's rally in London, Ontario on Aug. 19.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe talks to reporters as he takes a lunch break after a press conference in Montreal on Aug. 19.

Justin Trudeau speaks to kids at Le Centre Culturel Franophone de Vancouver during a campaign stop on Aug. 19, 2015.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair gets off a float plane in B.C. on Aug. 19, 2015. If his party is elected, he promised to create more than 100,000 child-care spaces for B.C.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau takes a selfie with a supporter following a campaign stop in Mount Pearl, N.L., Sunday, September 20, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper shakes hands with a boy at the the Lamplighter Inn & Conference Centre in London, Ont. on Aug. 19, 2015. In a speech there, Harper took aim at the federal and Ontario Liberals over the province’s retirement pension plan, nicknaming it the “Justin-Wynne-Kathleen-Trudeau” tax hike.

A Conservative supporter, who wouldn't divulge his name, expresses his frustrations to reporters before calling them "pieces of shit" in Toronto on Aug. 18, 2015.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May campaigns in Sidney, B.C. on Aug. 18, 2015.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair speaks to a crowd in Courtenay, B.C. on Aug. 18. 2015. During a visit to Vancouver Island, he pledged $9 million in natural disaster prevention and relief.

Green Leader Elizabeth May stops for a photo with Green Party candidates Jo-Ann Roberts (Victoria) and Claire Martin (North Vancouver) while on the campaign trail on Aug. 13, 2015.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau greets people in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. on Aug. 18. 2015. On a campaign swing through northern Ontario, he said a Liberal government would invest millions to support a clean technology initiative.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper pledged to cut red tape for small businesses at an event in London, ONt. on Aug. 19, 2015.

"Took some time with Ben today to have a little fun!" (Posted on Aug. 17, 2015)

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau gives a high-five to a young boy on his father's shoulders as he arrives for a rally Friday, August 28, 2015 in Montreal.

"Thank you to the Royal Canadian Legion in Fredericton for hosting Laureen and me this morning, and thank you to all our Military Veterans for their service."
Stephen Harper meets veterans in New Brunswick on Aug. 17, 2015.

Thomas Mulcair enjoys a view of the Niagara Falls on Aug. 17, 2015.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau sits for a photo-op about the Canada Child Benefit with the Vahidy family in Ajax, Ont.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, left, announces during a press conference that former Saskatchewan finance minister Andrew Thomson, right, will run as an NDP candidate in the Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence against Conservative incumbent Joe Oliver in Toronto on Aug. 14, 2015.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau calls his wife after the first federal leaders debate in Toronto on Aug. 6, 2015.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair speaks to reporters during a press conference following the first federal leaders debate of the 2015 Canadian election campaign in Toronto. The often passionate orator kept "Angry Tom" at bay, but in so doing kept a near-constant smile on his face — a look some viewers on social media described as "creepy."

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May speaks to reporters during a press conference following the first federal leaders debate on August 6, 2015. Many viewers felt May stole the spotlight.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau speaks to reporters. He admitted during the leaders' debate that his stance on Bill C-51 was perhaps "naive." But he also wasted little time going after his political opponents, keen to shed the charge that he’s not ready to lead the country.

"I am sure if you have teenagers you'll agree with me - these two are well-practiced debaters!" Stephen Harper posted a photo with his children on Facebook before the first federal leaders' debate in Toronto.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and his wife Laureen are greeted as they arrive for the first federal leaders debate of the 2015 Canadian election campaign in Toronto on Aug. 6.
Harper was attacked on the economy, his environmental record, the Senate scandals,

Here are the best 10 quotes from the leaders' debate.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair arrives to meet reporters for a press conference in Toronto on August 6, 2015.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair waves to supporters as he arrives for the first federal leaders debate.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May greets dignitaries as she arrives for the first federal leaders debate. During the televised event, she attacked Tory leader Stephen Harper on his economic record and pushed NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair on his pipelines position.

Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau greets supporters as he arrives for the first federal leaders debate.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau warms up in the ring with Paul Brown during a photo op at Paul Brown Boxfit in Toronto on August 6, 2015 prior to the first election debate.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair Mulcair speaks at a press conference in Toronto on August 6, 2015.

Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau leaves a rally as he begins campaigns for the upcoming federal election in Mississauga, Ont., on Tuesday, August 4, 2015.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair delivers a speech during a campaign stop in Montreal on Tuesday, August 4, 2015.

Conservative leader Stephen Harper picks up chicken wings while grocery shopping with his son Ben Tuesday, August 4, 2015 in Toronto.

An anti-Stephen Harper protester blocks the party's campaign bus during a Conservative party federal election rally on Westbury Avenue in Montreal on Sunday, August 2, 2015.

Anti-Stephen Harper protesters block the party's campaign bus during a Conservative party federal election event on Westbury Avenue in Montreal on Sunday, August 2, 2015.

Anti-Stephen Harper protesters block the party's campaign bus during a Conservative party federal election event on Westbury Avenue in Montreal on Sunday, August 2, 2015.

An anti-Stephen Harper protester is detained by police prior to a Conservative party campaign event on Westbury Avenue in Montreal on Sunday, August 2, 2015.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair launches his campaign at the Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., after Prime Minister Stephen Harper called an election on Sunday, August 2, 2015.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau speaks during his election campaign launch in Vancouver, B.C., on Sunday August 2, 2015. A federal election will be held on October 19.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper visits Governor General David Johnston, along with his wife Laureen, to dissolve parliament and trigger an election campaign at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Sunday, August 2, 2015.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper gets instructions on how to operate a machine that puts the finishing touch to a radiator while touring a industrial parts manufacture Monday, August 3, 2015 in Laval, Que.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair has faced some criticism for reportedly talking to the Conservatives in 2007 about advising their team.
Mulcair, a former Quebec Liberal, denies he ever intended to run for the Tories.
However, several other prominent Canadian politicians have changed their political stripes.
(Information courtesy of The Canadian Press' Stephanie Levitz)

According to several biographies of the current Conservative prime minister, when he was in high school in the 1970s, he ran in Liberal circles.
The prime minister of the time was Pierre Trudeau, and Harper was recruited by one of his classmates to join his high school Liberal club.
But soon after graduation, Harper moved west and as the story goes, lost respect for the elder Trudeau over the implementation of the national energy program, beginning his long road to leader of the Conservative party.

Trudeau also prompted Rae to get involved in politics, where he got his first taste of the life volunteering for the Liberals.
After returning from studying in England, he joined the New Democrats, eventually being elected as an NDP MP before leaving Ottawa to lead the provincial NDP and becoming premier of Ontario.
In 1998, he resigned from the NDP but didn't sever political ties with them until 2002.
That year, he argued in an essay published by the National Post that he no longer supported the party's approach to the Middle East and its opposition to the World Trade Organization.
"This is not a vision of social democracy worthy of support,'' he wrote at the time.
In 2006, he declared his allegiance to the Liberals, running for its leadership but losing.
He became a Liberal MP in 2008 and the party's interim leader following the 2011 election.

Mulcair named former Conservative cabinet minister Lawrence Cannon as the one who approached him to join the Conservatives.
The duo knew each other from their days with the Quebec Liberals; Cannon represented that party in the Quebec National Assembly for nearly 10 years before Mulcair joined their ranks.
And Cannon backed Sheila Copps when she ran for leadership of the federal Liberals in 2000.
But he then left the party for the private sector, reportedly disillusioned over Jean Chretien's handling of the 1995 Quebec referendum and the subsequent sponsorship scandal.
He went back into municipal politics for a time and then joined the Conservatives.
"The decision of Lawrence Cannon to join the Conservative party will help us build a new, clean federalism in the province,'' Harper told a 2005 press conference announcing Cannon's candidacy.
He was elected in 2006, serving in two cabinet posts before losing his seat in the 2011 election and being appointed ambassador to France.

The chance to represent Canada abroad also appeared to lure David Emerson across the aisle.
The long-time businessman was wooed by the Liberals to join their party for the 2004 election and he was elected in a Vancouver riding that year, going on to become industry minister.
In the 2006 election he ran for the Liberals again, repeatedly attacking the Tories, and won his seat. That campaign saw the Harper Conservatives eke out a minority government victory.
When Harper and his team showed up at Rideau Hall to be sworn in, Emerson was with them and was named international trade minister.
The Toronto Star had reported that while in the Liberal cabinet, Emerson had objected to a softwood lumber deal the government was close to disclosing. Emerson told reporters he made the partisan switch to serve his constituents better.
"I am pursuing the very agenda that I got involved to pursue when I was in the Liberal party supporting Paul Martin. I'm continuing to pursue it,'' he said in 2006.
He did not stand for re-election in 2008.

The Nova Scotia MP was first elected in 1997 as a Progressive Conservative and in 2003 ran for the leadership of that party, losing to Peter MacKay.
Though later that year he voted in favour of the PC's merging with the Canadian Alliance to form the new Conservative party, only days after the merger he announced he was going to sit as a Liberal.
In later interviews, he said he was told by those in the Canadian Alliance, including Stephen Harper, that the fact he was gay wouldn't hold back his political career within the new party.
But he said he was also told the Conservatives would continue to champion issues that were important with its socially conservative base.
"I could not run for a party that I did not want to win the election,'' Brison said in a 2006 interview.

The Toronto-area Tory sent a shock through political circles when she showed up alongside Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau at a news conference earlier this year and announced she was joining his team.
Adams had long ties to the Conservatives dating back to the Mulroney days, and had been elected for the party as an MP in 2011, winning a coveted suburban riding away from the Liberals.
Eventually, she became romantically linked with Dimitri Soudas, Harper's former director of communications who went on to become executive director of the party.
He lost that position after being accused of meddling in her nomination campaign for the 2015 election, which eventually led to both of them being excommunicated from the party.
When Adams announced her decision to join the Liberals, she said it was because she no longer supported the Conservatives' policy approach, specifically their income splitting policy.
"I cannot support mean-spirited measures that benefit only the richest few,'' she said.
She has yet to be formally nominated as a Liberal candidate for the upcoming election.

Bill Casey, Liberal candidate for the riding of Cumberland Colchester, and his wife Rosemary react after winning his seat in the 42nd Canadian general election in Amherst. Casey left the Conservatives after a long career as an MP after a dispute with Stephen Harper over the Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord.